Corporate America has Nothing on these Two Toddlers!

Lisenby Week In Review

Hello Friends! Well where do I begin things have been completely crazy around here. Between Joe working 10-15 hour days and the kids starting tumbling, soccer and cooking class! YES, cooking class! I’m all over the board these days not sure if I’m coming or going and as they say this is just the beginning for my journey of chasing from sport to sport! I actually enjoy seeing them at these activities the timing isn’t always convenient (right at dinner) but we are figuring out these minor details!

Let’s quick chat about Joe as I haven’t really seen him in a few weeks as he’s been jumping between jobs like a mad man! If you remember he did a salon last year. This year they asked him to do their new bathroom. So this meant late nights which would be fine if that was all he was doing…LOL not my husband still up and out around 630am and off to a residence then heading to the salon in the evenings until between midnight and 2am! Then back at it the next day, I’m not sure how he did this for a day let alone three. Then it was on to getting a home up to speed and finishing up another home and another fireplace as well as completing a outdoor spa. So the long days continued but not until 2am closer to 11pm. His final big project he is working feverishly to finish up is a home’s fireplace. Joe was asked to look at this fireplace as the homeowners thought the original mason’s may have as they put it “put too much sand in the mortar mix”. Joe went to the residence having no idea what he was getting in to. After sharing three videos of homes that ranged from theirs 8 years old, to a 30 plus year old home and a three month old homes mortar and seeing within seconds of gently scratching the joints with his chisel it was crumbling off Joe knew this was more than a too much sand in the mortar issue. This was a safety issue the fireplace was not structurally sound. As he showed the owners the other two homes which took much more time to even get a small amount of mortar to come off from the joints. They were as expected disgusted but wanted to have it done right. This was poor masonry at it’s finest. Joe had to make a decision if this was a job he was willing to take on. As there is risk setting up scaffolding and beginning to remove stone what if the wall crumbles taking down his scaffolding and those on it. Joe also felt terrible for these homeowners that someone would provide such poor craftsmanship. As you might have been able to tell by past post’s Joe is VERY passionate about stone and the craft of masonry. He wanted to fix it for them. A few things that also went along with it. They had a three week window as they were hosting a party at their home. But within that three weeks they have to also live at the residence first and foremost, next they have to still replace carpeting, deep clean and have the house ready for this event. So really Joe had two weeks to tear the entire inside fireplace down which is 22 feet tall using care as they wanted to use the same stone to re-do it, fix any issues within the fireplace, then put all the stones back up the right way. As the saying goes when it rains it pours! Once they got into the it they discovered a few problems…the hearth was pretty much set on a pile of sand! Yes, as to concrete placement the amount of sand used under the hearth was so much that the concrete literally crumbled at the touch. The stones when tapped with the chisel had all mortar drop off them; which I will say made the cleaning of them much quicker than expected! Then for the final NO WAY when the gentleman came to check the gas line he revealed that the line wasn’t put in properly and had been leaking! Joe said in his career he has never seen a fireplace like this. He plans to have the inside done by Sunday leaving the homeowners two weeks to get the inside back in order. Then next week he will move to the outside which is 40 feet tall. Who knows what this will bring as it has faced the elements of the midwest. So, Yes Joe has been busy as everyone has a deadline and these one’s all happen to be within a week of each other. If anyone has discovered how to re-create a person so they can do their exact talent please let me know as I need three Joe’s right about now!

Back to the kids and I! S & K started playing soccer which S has always had a thing for the sport since I can remember we have been saying she will be a soccer player. K well he’s getting there. He’s enjoying running around and learning. He was so nervous the first day saying “Mom it’s just practice not a game, right?” He was very concerned about this. So each week I make sure to say we are heading to practice so we can get better and some day play a game! Last week he said “I think I will stay in the car and watch a movie, I don’t want to play”. I said “OK” we arrived and he got out sat down and ate an apple and drank water. As soon as he heard the coaches whistle he jumped up and said “I have to go the whistle blew!” It made me so happy as I don’t ever want to pressure my kids to do anything especially sports. When I was a kid my parents didn’t and I tried stuff I stuck with what I felt I was good at and they supported me. I think sometimes parents get wrapped up too much themselves and forget it’s not about them it’s about the kids. Anyway, he’s getting the hang of it and last week one of his classmates was there which he thought was very cool! So now he’s excited for this weeks practice. S also started tumbling which we are on week two and I’m not just saying this because she’s my daughter but I can definitely see improvement. She practiced everything she learned from week one to week two and I think that helped. She so very excited as all she wants to be able to do is a cartwheel! I’m thinking we will get there but the coach works a lot on form and being a disciplined gymnast. Which I think is great as it’s a very easy sport to get hurt in. I also think S loves the cute outfits!! K will start cooking class tomorrow which he is sooo excited for! He loves to bake and cook with me and when I saw that our local YMCA was offering this I had to sign him up. He’s been talking about it for weeks so I will let you know what my little chef whip’s up!

Other than all this which after I read it I guess maybe it’s not that much. It’s more the kinks of figuring out when to feed the kids dinner on sports nights as of course they are or when to keep the kids up late to visit with Joe. As that is one thing we have gotten back on schedule with. BEDTIME! Joe almost always let’s them stay up later than I so since he has been working late bedtime is back to 7:30/7:45 and you know what they pass out in minutes and stay asleep until 7 the next morning unless of course S hears Joe then she sneaks down to have breakfast with him! Or like last week we surprised them by getting up and all going out to breakfast together. It’s the little things that matter and you really realize that when schedules in life get crazy. I wish you and yours an amazing evening and we will talk soon! Cheers